Who’s getting excited about Christmas?! It’s the time of the year summer is kicking in (or winter if you are in the northern hemisphere), Christmas decorations are abundant, Christmas songs are on repeat at shopping centres, social activities, and events are booming and people on a whole are feeling merry.
For many, it’s a time to look forward to all those delicious and traditional Christmas recipes & indulgences. However, it can also leave you feeling a bit nervous about what it will mean for your health and wellness.
All the parties and events can feel a bit overwhelming, alongside family commitments and growing to-do lists. Maybe you’re feeling like you have to ‘miss out’ because you’re trying to be healthy or maybe you feel the opposite, and that you have to let your health practices go entirely out the wreath and tinsel wrapped window because it’s just too hard at Chrissy.
Well, I am here to tell you that there is a happy medium between these two and you can absolutely enjoy all that Christmas has to offer while still maintaining your happier, healthier habits.
Start with mindset
It’s all about choice and that choice rests fully with you. Simply make the choice for a balanced approach and then embrace it. You might like to use a planner to help you do this.
- Grab a pen and paper and draw a line down the middle.
- On one side, write “CHECKLIST”, on the other write “ACTION LIST”.
- On the Checklist side, write in big letters: I choose to feel good over the holidays (or whatever affirmation along those lines feels good to you).
- Draw images or pictures around your affirmation, highlight it or do whatever you feel – just make it stand out. This is your mantra for everything over the festive period.
“I choose to feel good over the holidays.”
Next comes the how
1. First tip – be realistic. Look at your checklist and write achievable goals around your health and wellness routine. Something like: I will exercise X times a week. I will have X alcohol free days.
But be real. Writing that you are only going to eat veggies or do a juice cleanse over Christmas probably isn’t going to happen, right? Or if you do go ahead with it, likelihood is you’ll feel like you missed out on the fun stuff. It is the holidays so it’s ok to relax a little! A big part of health and wellness is enjoying what you do and that fully includes feasting with your family & friends at Christmas. Then on the non-party days, there’s no reason why you can’t be continuing with your usual approach to activity and nutrition.
2. After you’ve set your Checklist, grab your diary or calendar and look at your Action List and think about diarising your days.
- Which will be your ‘regular’ days that you are able to commit to eating, drinking and exercising as you would normally?
- Can you make them your alcohol-free days, cleaner-eating days or sugar-free days?
- When will you get your exercise in?
- What about self-care?
3. Chat with your partner/family and include the kids too, so you’re all on the same page and supporting each other. It means you’re more likely to stick to it. By just maintaining a balance between ‘party’ and ‘regular’ days, you will notice such a difference in how you feel towards the holidays.
Personally
For me, I like to let go and go with the flow a little more on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. My non-negotiable is still making sure I exercise in the morning and have a good, nutritious breakfast. I know Boxing Day and New Year’s Day will likely have a slower start than usual, but I always make time for even a nice park or coast walk at some stage during the day. I pretty much keep to my regular health and wellness practices on the other days – keeping refined sugar and alcohol as low (if not completely absent) as possible, and eating a wholefood-loaded diet.
So, let’s not over-complicate it, ok? Just remember, health and wellness is simply about maintaining balance and flow. So, if we feel we’re still in our flow regardless of parties, events, lazier days etc. then we will come out of the holidays feeling rejuvenated and alive. Let’s just aim for moderation, relaxation, and joy, and forget about the rest.
If you have any questions or queries you’d love to have answered, please reach out to me at carla@happinessco.org and I’d be more than happy to help.
Want more practical strategies and ideas to cultivate wellness into your life? Reach out to us at wecare@happinessco.org to find out more about how Happiness Co can help.
Carla Thomas,
Holistic Health Coach & Wellness Coordinator at Happiness Co
carla@happinessco.org
